By Zayamu Hassan
Nigeria’s Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, has urged African countries to redouble their essential medicines manufacturing capacity, in order to reduce over dependence on foreign imported drugs.
Ehanire stated this while making a presentation (virtually) during the World Health Organisation (WHO) AFRO 72 Regional Committee for Africa taking place in Lome, Togo between August 22 and 26, 2022.
The Minister lamented that the journey so far has not been easy for the African sub region due to high dependency on essential medicines and the impact of COVID-19 on overseas manufacturers.
This, according to him, made the African region to be at a disadvantage where it is considered less important by placing it at the far bottom of the priority list for commodities and vaccines. “Africa must increase regional manufacturing capacity of essential health items,” Ehanire insisted.
The Minister disclosed that Nigeria, just like other countries of the world, is making consistent efforts through the implementation of key measures at ensuring it recovers from the social and economic impact of COVID-19 pandemic.
Earlier, Dr Ehanire, revealed that Nigeria is working hard to strengthen public health security for better preparedness for future challenges and improve routine health care towards achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
“Nigeria has improved and expanded it’s public laboratory networks, intensive care units, isolation centres and increased oxygen production capacity to build back better,” says Ehanire.
A statement signed by the Deputy Director/Head (Media and Publicity) of the Federal Ministry of Health, Ahmadu A. Chindaya, quoted Ehanire as saying that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government through the health sector reform is increasingly improving health services and capacity especially under the Primary Health Care (PHC).
This, he said, was demonstrated through the recent signing of the new National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) Act, which makes health care insurance mandatory.
